EDITORS' NOTE: News from AAAS is embargoed until the time of each symposium presentation or news briefing, whichever comes first. Several faculty members and graduate students from the University of California, Davis, will present research at the annual meeting of American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C., Feb. 17 through 22. Below are summaries of six presentations. PAPER: "Science for 21st Century Food Systems" AUTHOR: G. Eric Bradford, professor emeritus, Department of Animal Science SYMPOSIUM DATE and TIME: Friday, Feb. 18, 9 a.m.-noon Scientific research directed at increasing total food production is an urgent need as the world faces an anticipated global population jump from 6 billion to 8 billion people within the next few decades, says Bradford. At that point, feeding the world will become not just a problem of distribution as it is today, but of actually producing adequate food. While biotechnology promises to offer some solutions, especially for modifying food composition for people with limited dietary variety, research into other production-oriented areas is more urgent, he stresses. Bradford suggests some of the research areas critical to global food security include (1) maintaining productive capacity of agricultural land, (2) increasing cereal yields, (3) using systems analyses for efficient resource allocation, (4) integrating crop and livestock production and (5) improving aquaculture-production technology. Contact: Eric Bradford, Animal Science, (530) 752-7602, gebradford@ucdavis.edu. PAPER: "Food of the Gods -- Cure for Humanity? A Cultural History of the Medicinal and Ritual Use of Chocolate" AUTHOR: Louis Grivetti, professor, Department of Nutrition SYMPOSIUM DATE and TIME: Saturday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m.-noon *News conference: Friday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m. The medicinal uses of cacao or chocolate can be traced through historical documents for more than 450 years, Grivetti has found. The Olmec, Maya and Aztec people of Central America were the first known to recommend cacao for medicinal use, he says. Manuscripts from the 16th century to early 20th century suggest more than 100 medicinal uses for chocolate or cacao, most of those uses related to treating emaciated patients, stimulating the nervous system of apathetic or exhausted individuals, and improving digestion and elimination. Chocolate was also used to treat anemia; poor appetite; mental fatigue; poor breast-milk production; consumption or tuberculosis, fever and gout; kidney stones; and poor sexual appetite. And because chocolate masked the bitter taste of some medications, it was also used as a medium for administering drugs. In addition to the cacao beans, preparations made from cacao bark, oil, leaves and flowers have been used to treat burns and cuts, bowel dysfunction and skin irritations. Today, chocolate or cacao continues to be used medicinally in Central America. Contact: Louis Grivetti, Nutrition, (530) 752-2078, legrivetti@ucdavis.edu. PAPER: "The Effects of Cocoa Flavonoids on Vascular Smooth Muscle" AUTHOR: C. Tissa Kappagoda, professor, Department of Internal Medicine, and director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and CAD Reversal Program, UC Davis School of Medicine SYMPOSIUM DATE and TIME: Saturday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m. to noon *News briefing: Friday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m. Coronary atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries" is one of the major causes of heart attacks. The disorder involves the accumulation of fat in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. The fatty buildup restricts the flow of blood to the heart muscle, and affected arteries are prone to blood clots, small hemorrhages and spasms, which eventually can lead to heart attacks. It has been suggested in previous research that certain chemical compounds known as flavonoids, which are derived from plant products, may help prevent the clotting and clogging of arteries by inhibiting the oxidation process that leads to fatty buildups along the artery walls. Interested in the possible protective nature of certain flavonoids found in cocoa powder, Kappagoda conducted three groups of investigations, observing the effects of different kinds of fat-free cocoa powder extracts on the blood vessels of laboratory animals. Results of the study suggest that the dilation or relaxation of blood vessels induced by cocoa-derived flavonoids and their possible protection against dangerous fatty buildups is unrelated to their antioxidant properties. Contact: C. Tissa Kappagoda, School of Medicine, (530) 752-4040, ctkappagoda@ucdavis.edu. PAPER: "Effects of Cocoa Consumption: Platelet Aggregation and Activation" AUTHOR: Carl L. Keen, professor and chair, Department of Nutrition SYMPOSIUM DATE and TIME: Saturday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m.-noon *News briefing: Friday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m. Keen's research focuses on how diet influences the body's oxidant defense systems and, as a consequence, the occurrence of cellular oxidative damage. He is particularly interested in how polyphenol compounds found both in cocoa powder and chocolate candy may help prevent the clogging and clotting of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks. In this study, Keen presents data on the measurable effects of dietary cocoa and chocolate on biochemical activities in the bloodstream of study participants. The findings provide new information related to the potential health benefits of the antioxidants found in chocolate. The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health and Mars Incorporated. Contact: Carl Keen, Nutrition, (530) 752-6331, clkeen@ucdavis.edu. PAPER: "Global Markets for Organic Food" AUTHOR: Karen Klonsky, farm management specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics SYMPOSIUM DATE and TIME: Tuesday, Feb. 22, 8-11 a.m. Organic food sales account for 1 percent of total food sales and are growing at a rate of 20 percent a year -- compared to 2 percent in the rest of the food industry, according to Karen Klonsky of UC Davis. The farm management specialist says the high growth rate reflects concerns over food safety, including pesticide residues and genetically modified organisms present in food, as well as the environmental impact of conventional agricultural production methods. A recent study concluded that 10 percent of consumers regularly buy organic food and 50 percent of consumers are potential purchasers of organic and natural food. Future growth and the mix of commodities produced, Klonsky says, will ultimately be determined by several factors including regulation, consumer adoption and the entry of mainstream producers, manufacturers and retailers into the organic market. Contact: Karen Klonsky, Agricultural and Resource Economics, (530) 752-3563, klonsky@primal.ucdavis.edu. PAPER: "Food Security: The Contributions of International Trade and Policy" AUTHOR: Daniel Sumner, professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center SYMPOSIUM DATE and TIME: Monday, Feb. 21, 8-11 a.m. Global productivity growth, open markets and economic growth seem to be essential complements in progress towards ending hunger among the poorest of the poor, according to Daniel Sumner of UC Davis. The director of the Agricultural Issues Center and professor of agricultural and resource economics will conclude a session with presentations by six others, including Assistant Professor Scott Rozelle of agricultural and resource economics at UC Davis. The economists and agricultural scientists will examine two main questions: whether international market forces can protect resources and increase productivity to meet future needs, and whether policy-makers should be concerned with the potential conflict between national and global food security. Sumner and Professor Shu Geng of agronomy and range science at UC Davis organized the session. Contact: Daniel Sumner, Agricultural and Resource Economics, (530) 752-1668, dan@primal.ucdavis.edu.